Paul Coll and Joelle King looked fit and full of confidence when they opened their Commonwealth Games campaigns.
The two New Zealanders are the top seeds in the men’s and women’s singles and hardly raised a sweat in winning their first matches in Birmingham.
Coll beat Niall Engerer of Malta 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 and King was even more frugal in dismissing Leunga Katse of Botswana 11-1, 11-4, 11-3.
Coll, who had three months as the world No 1 earlier this year, was a singles silver medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. King is the defending Commonwealth Games singles champion, after taking a bronze medal in the event in 2014.
Kaitlyn Watts progressed through the women’s draw when she beat Mary Fung-A-Fat of Guyana 11-2, 11-6, 11-4 .
However Lwamba Chileshe, seeded in the 9-16 bracket in the men’s singles, was upset 11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4 by Canadian Nick Sachvie.
Chileshe’s brother Temwa also bowed out of the singles when he was edged out by well-regarded Scot Rory Stewart 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-4.